Drive for more 'public sector' apprenticeships

Skills Minister David Lammy today called on major public sector employers to offer more Apprenticeships to young people and adults and break down barriers preventing their take up.

The move is part of the Government's drive to see 400,000 Apprenticeships in England by 2020. The Prime Minister told the TUC last month that the Public Sector should provide many more placements.

Responding to a House of Lords report on apprenticeships David Lammy said: "We have seen nothing short of a renaissance of Apprenticeships under this Government. We now have over a quarter of million people engaged in them in every sector across the economy.

"I am now bringing together public sector employers at a high level summit to help show the way and determine how all employers and small to medium size employers can offer more apprenticeships.

"We want to make apprenticeships more easily accessible to everyone who wants one. A web-based clearing service we have been trialling will help potential apprentices search nationally much more easily by job category and area and match them better to suitable employers. It will also help employers to recruit their apprentices.

"Apprenticeships are routes to good careers. Apprentices can quickly contribute to an employer's bottom line. They are vital to our mission to be highly skilled and productive and we must maximise their potential.

"Working in partnership with employers, learners and training providers, we will introduce an entitlement to an apprenticeship for every suitably qualified young person that wants one by 2013. We are determined to make high quality Government funded Apprenticeships available and well regarded in all parts of the country."

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